Wire-frame eyewear assembly with transversely-lithe sidepiece element

ABSTRACT

This invention is a completely mechanical method of constructing eyewear, without brazing. An eyewear frame is formed by a continuous, bent, spring wire. Sidepiece 47 is fixedly attached to frame endpiece parts 30 and 31 by mating a bent portion of each within compression spring 40. The Vertically tall, transversely thin sidepieces can support with scant lateral pressure to a wearer&#39;s head, and can close can close against the frame without hinges. The length of a spring over the endpiece confines lense 56 in upper and lower portions of a frame&#39;s eyewire. Lense 55 has been removed by laterally compressing spring 40 around the folded-over endpiece parts and letting the ends of the endpiece parts spread vertically apart. Elongated members, unrelated to eyewear endpieces and sidepieces, can be fixedly attached and removed, and/or spread in the ways described above. A nosebridge can be formed by a continuous, bent, spring wire. It&#39;s transversely elongated bridgeportion 20 adds strength and stability to the frame. Hook 22 at an upper lateral end of the bridgeportion plus a bridgeportion frontward bow substantially mechanically encircle the frame&#39;s bridge in the latitudinal/longitudinal plane. The hooks and bow hold together upper and lower medial portions of a frame&#39;s eyewire. The vertical stability of the lenses, supported in the frame&#39;s eyewires, keeps the nosebridge from rotating. Nosebridge hook 22 continues downwardly/rearwardly as nosepad arm 60. The lateral angling of the arms also keeps the nosebridge from rotating. Each wire end of the arms upwardly loop; each loop can secure a nosepad balljoint.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to spectacles, eyeglasses, and metal workingmeans to assemble or disassemble using a circular spring applier orremover. More specifically, a means to secure lenses,temples/sidepieces, earpieces, and nosepieces together as completedeyewear, and a means to fixedly attach mated elongated members with acompression spring.

Up till now, metal eyewear frames have been constructed bybrazing/soldering and require great precision to make them consistentand have matched sides. Prior-art metal frames often use screws tosecure two brazed-on, tapped, mateable, barrel ends of a bezel tailoredaround a lense. Nosepad arms and a nosebridge are brazed to the bezels.Nosepad arms often have a brazed on clamp or centrally-tapped cup. Thenosepads, secured with a screw to a cup, become immobile if all threeholes (including nosepad hole) don't precisely line up. Endpieces andtapped barrel hinges are often brazed onto the frame. A barrel is brazedto each temple's front edge. Screws attach endpiece and temple barrels.Lastly an earpiece sleeve is placed on each temple, then bent. Eachprior-art spring hinge adds an extra spring, a tapped portion, and ascrew portion in a brazed-on cavity.

Including spring temples, prior-art metal frames average 37 parts forassembly (6 screws, 2 bezels, 4 bezel barrel ends, 1 nosebridge, 2 frameendpieces, 4 formed/tapped barrel pieces, 2 temples, 2 earpieces, 2springs, 2 screws in springs, 2 spring casings, 2 nosepad arms, 2 tappednosepad cups, 2 nosepads [each sometimes made of 2 parts: metal andplastic]). Often the total is 18 brazed joints; each then requirespolishing. Plating is used to conceal brazing color variance. That's alot of assembly. The combination of needed transverse and longitudinalstrength and large number of pieces and welds adds to the weight of theframe. To reduce eyewear weight, light-strong metals, like titanium, areused; adding expense and brazing difficulty. Expensive combinationmetals are often used to braze to spring metals, which are difficult toattach to without annealing them from the high temperature of brazing.Because brazing spring metal makes it brittle, or anneals and unravelsits form, parts near a braze must remain sizeable. Brazing techniquesare often trade secrets. Overall required, complicated, precision may bewhy the number of quality metal frame manufacturers is limited. Europeis still known for the best quality frames (like Switzerland was knownfor watches before U.S. mass production).

With wearer motion, screws loosen and the rigid frame can bend. Poorbrazed joints can break from eyewear use. The more flexible frames tendto reduce tension to the head, compromising support for temple-styleeyewear. Fishline, when used, stretches, so lenses can accidentally popout of a frame. Nuts and bolts, used on some rimless lenses, easilyloosen with wear. Slight frame imperfections can tilt the frame on thewearer. The bulk of the rigid frame, hinges, nosepad arms, andespecially the bezel ends can complicate the appearance of glasseswithout adding style.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,684 by Jean V. Rittmann, granted Jan. 12, 1999,entitled EYEGLASS SUPPORT SYSTEM (see Prior-Art FIG. 1), discloseseyewear that support by “leveraging eyeglasses only onto the wearer'snose” and support “without laterally pressuring the wearer's head”.Constructing this lever system; using rigid frames, and hinges withstops (P.O. not. 89); means sidepieces must be spread/tailored to eachwearer's head width without pressure. A sidepiece length-changing methodfurther complicates frame structure. Without stops , the frame maywobble side to side with a wearer's head movement. Also, production maybe limited to established manufacturers, as prior-art frame constructionis so complex.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,983 by Vittorio Tabacchi and Vicenzo Veil, grantedJul. 8, 1986, entitled METAL FRAME FOR EYEGLASSES, discloses rings ofmetal, stainless steel, wire; each intended to receive a lense. Lines30-34, state that lateral regions of the rings are “weakest and mostsusceptible to experiencing permanent deformation as a result ofannealing to which they have been subject in the operation of thewelding of the noses.”

U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,041 by Larry Higgins, granted Nov. 7, 1978, entitledMETHOD OF ASSEMBLING COIL SPRINGS, discloses a helical lacing wirewrapped around overlapped joint segments of adjacent springs andlevelizer wire. Any two adjacent coil springs, if attached only to alevelizer by one central lacing, can be rotated. If each coil wereconsidered an elongated member, it is not held from circularly pullingout of the lacing except by friction. Since each coil and the levelizerwire are round (see his FIG. 9), all can rotate from each other withinthe lacing.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,806 by Yuichi Sakai, granted Jun. 4, 1996, entitledEYEGLASSES HAVING IMPROVED LENS FASTENING MEMBER, discloses a laterallense fastening means using integrally connected, parallel upper andlower wires and a metal piece slidably movable thereon.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a completely mechanical method of constructingeye-wear, without brazing. A frame can be formed by a continuous, bent,spring wire. Each sidepiece can fixedly attach to a corresponding frameendpiece by mating a bent portion of each within an extension spring.Vertically stiff, transversely lithe sidepieces can support with scantlateral pressure to a wearer's head, and can close to the frame withouthinges. The length of a spring over the two-part endpiece confines agrooved lense in upper and lower portions of a frame's eyewire. A lensecan be removed by laterally compressing the spring around the endpieceand spreading the endpiece parts apart. Elongated members, unrelated toeyewear, can be fixedly attached and removed, and/or spread in the waysdescribed above.

A nosebridge can be formed by a continuous, bent, spring wire. It'sbridgeportion has a central, frontward bow, and hooks at it's lateralsides. Each hook plus the bow substantially encircle the frame bridge inthe latitudinal/longitudinal plane, and hold together upper and lowermedial portions of a frame's eyewire. The vertical stability of thelenses, supported in the eyewires, keeps the nosebridge from rotating.The nosebridge hooks continue downwardly/rearwardly as nosepad arms. Theend of each arm upwardly loops; each loop can secure a nosepadballjoint.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Eyewear, made this way: can be assembled without tools; can weigh ¼ounce (7 grams): much less than prior-art glasses; need only ten parts;flex without permanent distortion; won't disassemble with wear (asscrews do); and look nice. There is no need for tiny casted metal parts,hinges, tiny screws, tapping, brazing, polishing, plating, or earpieceover-molding (or earpiece bending). The invention can be constructed outof small diameter spring metal, which is nearly impossible to prior-artbraze, provides simple means to insert/remove lenses, and lets nosepadspivot.

The invention provides advantages for lever eyewear by: providing onlyscant pressure to a wearer's head without hinges, reducing rearwardframe weight at the ear-rest, and deterring over-shortening of earpiecesby causing front frame to flex rearwardly. Spring metal elongatedmembers, unrelated to eyewear, can also be fixedly attached/unattachedby hand without the permanency and bulk of crimping, or the annealing ofbrazing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is Prior Art shown in Pat. No. 5,859,684, FIG. 14

FIG. 2 is an eyewear assembly of the invention's parts, front view.

FIG. 3 is the assembly of FIG. 2 plus lenses minus nosepiece, frontview.

FIG. 4 is a single metal wire bent into a frame, front & rear views.

FIG. 5 is a frame embodiment with bottom hooks, front view.

FIG. 6 is a RHS sidepiece, top view.

FIG. 7 is an ear-rest with a sidepiece inserted, side view.

FIG. 8A is a LHS nosepad, front view.

FIG. 8B is a LHS nosepad, side view.

FIG. 9A is a nosebridge embodiment, top view.

FIG. 9B is a nosebridge embodiment front view.

FIG. 9C is a nosebridge embodiment, RHS view.

FIG. 9D is a detail of FIG. 9C

FIG. 10 is a detail of FIG. 2, top view.

FIG. 11 is a detail of FIG. 10, cross sectional view.

FIG. 12 is an embodiment of a compression spring.

FIG. 13 is an embodiment of completed eyewear, rear view.

FIG. 14 is a frame with nosebridge and nosepiece, rear view.

FIG. 15 is a frame with molding over nosebridge, rear view

FIG. 16 is a 3-piece spot-weld frame embodiment, rear view.

FIG. 17 is a 2-piece spot-weld frame embodiment, rear view.

FIG. 18 is a single-piece eyewear embodiment, front view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTATIONS

20 a nosebridge bridgeportion 22 a nosebridge hook 24 a non-groovedlense portion 26 a bottom frame hook 30 the upper part of a RHS endpiece31 the lower part of a RHS endpiece 30-31 a RHS endpiece/a first member32 the upper portion of a RHS eyewire 33 the lower portion of a LHSeyewire 34 a frame hook 35 a frame-bridge 36 an ear-rest hollow 37 a RHSnosepad loop 38 a bridgeportion bow 39 a LHS compression spring x aballjoint's ‘height’ 40 a RHS compression spring 43 a frame bow 44 abent end 45 an endpiece/1st member bend 46 a LHS nosepad 47 a RHSsidepiece/2nd member 48 a nosepad balljoint 49 sidepiece bumps 50 a tab51 a RHS ear-rest 55 a right hand side lense 56 a left hand side lense60 a nosepad arm 69 an ear-rest nub 70 a spot-weld 71 a spot-weld

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Description of One Embodimentof the Invention

FIG. 1 is Prior Art shown in Pat. No. 5,859,684, FIG. 14, where theembodiment of that system is shown on a wearer; RHS (right-hand side)view. Notations are ear-rest 51 a, sidepiece 47 a, nosepad 46 c, RHSlense 55 a, and frame 59 a. These part names are used in this text.

FIG. 2 shows an eyewear assembly of the invention's parts, front view.In this embodiment, upper portion RHS frame eyewire 32 terminatesmedially in frame hook 34. The medial end of lower portion RHS frameeyewire 33 becomes frame bridge 35 at frame bow 43 (43 is shown betterin FIG. 4.) Hook 34 and bow 43 are semi-encircled by nosebridge hook 22.Nosebridge bridgeportion 20 positions under frame bridge 35 (but cancontinue frontwardly/upwardly around frame bridge). A lateral edge ofbridgeportion 20 ovals upwardly to rearwardly to downwardly as hook 22.After hook 22, the nosebridge continues rearwardly/downwardly asnosebridge nosepad arm 60. Also angling arms laterally can help slantnosepads, when added, to tailor to a wearer's nose slopes, and can helpkeep the arms positioned rearwardly on the frame. Arm 60 upwardly loopsforming RHS nosepad loop 37. The loop is for supporting a nosepad. LHS(left-hand side) nosepad loop (not noted) is shown supporting LHSnosepad 46. Hook 22 is confined from moving medially by the transversestrength of bridgeportion 20. The bridgeportion adds strength andstability to the frame. When grooved lenses are inserted between upperand lower eyewires, the vertical stability of the lenses keeps thenosebridge, eyewires, and endpieces from rotating. Compression springs39 and 40, sidepiece 47, and sidepiece bumps 49 are noted.

FIG. 3 is the assembly of FIG. 2 plus lenses minus the nosepad, frontview. Lens 55, removed from the frame, has a substantiallycircumferential etched-edge groove. This groove can be similar toprior-art semi-encircling grooves cut to fit prior-art eyewires (likefishline). Tiny non-grooved lense portion 24 can be left to opticallyalign the lense in the frame at the endpiece. RHS & LHS lenses 55 & 56may be etched from prior-art optical disks. The upper and lower portionsof the LHS eyewire (not noted) engage the groove of lense 56 bypositioning within the groove. Compressed laterally by unseen forces,extension spring 40 allows the upper part of a RHS endpiece 30 to bevertically spread apart from 31, the lower part of a RHS endpiece.Compressing the spring can expand the grip on the lense enough to removeit. When released, each spring substantially surrounds/secures togetherthe folded-over lengths of an endpiece, securing the lense between upper& lower eyewires. Hook 22, nosepad arm 60, & sidepiece 47 are noted.

FIG. 4 is a single spring wire, bent into a frame, substantially in theflat transverse/latitudinal plane, front view and rear viewrespectively. A wire end starts as frame hook 34, bends intosemi-circular RHS upper portion of frame eyewire 32, bends laterallyinto RHS upper part endpiece 30, parallelly folds back into RHS lowerpart endpiece 31 (beneath & against endpiece 30), bends downwardly andsemi-circles medially into RHS lower portion eyewire 33, bends at bow 43into frame bridge 35, and continues into LHS, mirror imageportions/parts. The tightly folded-over wire 30-31 produces a verticallytall doubled wire endpiece. Front frame endpiece bend 45 is a rearwardbend of both parts (30 and 31) of the RHS endpiece.

FIG. 5 is a frame embodiment with bottom hooks, like hook 26, frontview. Using bottom frame hooks does not effect the nosebridgeattachment.

FIG. 6 is RHS sidepiece 47, top view. The sidepiece may be made of 0.006by 0.07 strip wire; thin side shown (but drawn disproportionately thickfor visibility). Sidepiece 47 bows slightly medially (to tailor to awearer's face). Sidepiece bumps 49 are about 0.05″ tall. Sidepiece tab50 can extend inwardly an average 0.05″ beyond bend 44.

FIG. 7 is ear-rest 51 with sidepiece 47 inserted, side view. Ear-restnub 69 rests behind a wearer's ear lobe when worn (wearer not shown).Ear-rest hollow 36 can have side indentations (not shown) to holdsidepiece bumps 49 in a position in the ear-rest (the double bumps catchtwo indentations). This is the invention's method of changing sidepiecelength to fit a wearer. When the ear-rest is transparent, the amount ofthe sidepiece within it is visible, so a pair of sidepieces can belengthened equally. This sidepiece/temple length-altering method is freeof the bulk, complication, and the side or bottom holes of prior art.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are front and side views respectively of a LHSnosepad; “D” shaped balljoint 48 noted on each. Because this inventioncan use a single nosebridge made of 0.025″ or 0.020″ dia. wire, a wireloop can be made small. A balljoint can then have a small base and short(0.1″) balljoint ‘height’ (x in FIG. 8B). The balljoint can be pivotallyclamped between the top and bottom of a “D” shaped nosepad arm loop,leaving the pad to tilt somewhat sideways. In comparison, prior-artnosepad arms need about 0.040″ dia. wire (big because it needs to brazeto bezels). Production circle dia. of a 0.04″ wire is >0.2″. Such a bigwire circling around a pad would need an tall, unsightly, balljoint‘height’ (about 0.2″) to let the nosepad pivot.

A nosebridge embodiment is shown in FIG. 9A as top view, FIG. 9B asfront view, and FIG. 9C as RHS view. The lateral ends of the nosebridgeeach continue rearwardly/laterally/downwardly as nosepad arms. Nosepadarms like 60 are shown curved. RHS nosepad loop 37 is shown as “D”shaped, but it's shape can vary with the type of nosepad attached (likeit could be rectangular or oval shaped: neither shown). In thisembodiment, nosepad hook 22 looks like an upside-down “U”. The hook isvertically tall to keep medial upper and lower portions of the eyewirepositioned vertical to each other. Like a frame bridge, the nose bridgecan be straight and/or bow frontwardly. Nosebridge bow 38 continuesforwardly to substantially form a complete circle about thelongitudinal/latitudinal plane. (Nosebridge bow 38, frontward ofnosebridge hook 22 and nosepad arm 60 are more visible in detail FIG. 9Dfrom the phantom-line encircled portion of FIG. 9C). The flex/resiliencyof the nosebridge wire allows this vertically tall/transverselyelongated circle to snap on to a frame bridge. The nosebridge can attachto the frame bridge by placing frame hooks into nose-bridge hooks,snapping the bridgeportion bow forwardly under the frame bridge, thenflipping nosepad arms behind the lower portion eyewires.

Without frontward bow 38, hook 22 could substantially encircle top andbottom portions of the frame bridge by itself; or nosepad arm 60 couldbend near the hook more horizontally, to look like most prior-artnosepad arms; or bow 38 and hook 22 could both be reversed in direction(none shown). All these methods of attaching a nosebridge to a framehave a nosebridge substantially encircling a frame bridge in thelongitudinal/latitudinal plane.

FIG. 10 is a detail of FIG. 2, top view. The assembly shows compressionspring 40 fixedly attaching sidepiece 47 to endpiece 30-31, where theirrespective bends (sidepiece bend 44 and endpiece bend 45) mate. Becausetab 50 is short, it eases assembly of the mated bends as follows:Sidepiece 47 is inserted into the spring by hooking tab 50 into one endof the spring so it pokes out between the coils, and for ease, screwingthe sidepiece about 4 turns into the spring. By compressing the spring,the endpiece can be pushed, by hand, into the spring, mating it againstthe sidepiece. That is, the sidepiece tab positions between the coilswhile both are slid onto an endpiece. Then, when endpiece and sidepiecebends nearly mate, the tab may be hooked inside the spring by slightlyspreading two coils apart.

The extension spring of the invention acts a bit like a Chinese fingervice. (Pushing a finger in each end of the woven straw cylindercompresses it's length and widens it's diameter. Pulling the fingersapart extends it's length and narrows it's diameter; gripping thefingers inside.) Compressing the extension spring widens it's diameterenough to insert elongated members like a sidepiece and endpiece. Thecombination of inserted members makes a combined overall diameter, insome direction, nearly that of the inside diameter of the spring whencompressed. In example, FIG. 11: a detail of FIG. 10, cross sectionalview (from phantom line of FIG. 10), shows when compression isdiscontinued, the members are frictionally gripped by spring 40.

2. Fixedly Attaching Elongated Members with an Extension Spring

The above method of attachment andlor part confinement/separation can beused for elongated members unrelated to eyewear. That is, spring metalhas tremendous strength (like spring steel near 400 kpsi) compared tomost anything, like brass (soft: 40 kpsi, hard: 70 kpsi). Spring metalallows members to be made sometimes one tenth the diameter smaller thanequivalent soft metal members. Also, spring metal is resilient andflexes back to shape, as compared to permanently bending, like brass. Asspring metal easily anneals with brazing, most springs are mechanicallyattached with hooks or crimps, both which add substantial diameter to ajoint. Often a crimp is made with a sizeable, folded-over piece of softmetal, and is fairly permanent. This invention's method of attachmenthas the advantages of barely increasing the overall diameter of thecombined diameter of two members, and allowing the members to easilydetach/reattach. This text provides no specific examples outside ofeyewear.

Referring again to FIG. 10, endpiece 30-31 and sidepiece 47 are examplesof first and second elongated members, respectively, in extension spring40. The elongated members are fixedly attached by confining a mated bentportion of each within an extension spring (first member bend 45 mateswith second member bend 44). The assembly and disassembly of parts is bycompression (and secondary 2-coil spreading) of the extension spring.

3. Mating Members Prevents Rotation

Looking again at FIG. 11: endpiece 30-31 and sidepiece 47 are elongatedmembers that have a flat side pressed against each other to prevent themfrom rotating in relation to each other. Upper (30) and lower (31)endpieces act together as a flat surface against the flat strip wiresidepiece 47. That is, endpiece 30-31 is a single, verticallyfolded-over wire, joined laterally at the fold; and it's medial ends aresecured vertically in a vertical lense groove. Endpiece 30-31 can beconsidered two vertically-tensioned parts, especially medially (wherethey are spread by an unseen lense). Alternative member matings could betwo strip wires, two wires with mated cuts (like >>, or c c ), etc.,none shown. More than two members may be mated (not shown).Comparatively, when all members are completely round, they cannot mate,and would be prone to rotate from each other (as in Higgins' pat. FIG.9).

It is the mated bend of both elongated members confined within thespring together that fixedly attaches the members. The assembly of suchis made easy by one bent portion (like FIG. 10's tab 50) being shortenough to slip between to inside the spring coils as a secondaryoperation. This ‘cheat’ slipping may be why this attachment method hasnot been used before. It is the mated bend that secures the membersagainst the spring's inside diameter in both frontward-rearward andlateral-medial directions.

FIG. 12 is an embodiment of an extension spring; like spring 39. It has22 windings,& end dead coils with bent-in ends to keep it from snagginghair.

4. An Embodiment of Completed Eyewear

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of completed eyewear, rear view. Thetransverse litheness of the sidepieces lets them flex medially-frontwardtowards the frame allowing closure for storage. This flexing takes theplace of prior-art hinges. Ear-rests are part of the eyewear shown, andtheir angular section just frontward of the ear-rest nubs (like nub 69)can catch underneath a nosepiece, so the sidepieces stay closed againstthe frame. Alternatively (none shown): ear-rests can catch in front ofthe lenses, in front on the frame's bridge-nosebridge, or they can behooked together, etc. Transversely lithe sidepieces let the earpiecestwist a bit to help earpieces close under nosepads; and better tailor toa wearer's ear slope, when worn.

5. Other Embodiments of Lever Eyewear

FIG. 14 is a frame embodiment, like that of FIG. 4, but with an attachednosebridge and one-piece nosepad, made from flexible flat tubing, fedover padarm loops, rear view. FIG. 15 is a frame embodiment with plasticmolding over the nosebridge. The plastic nosepiece covers the framebridge and an armless spring metal nosebridge (not necessary with arigid plastic nosepiece). Shrink tubing (shown on the frame's LHSlateral end) can replace the extension spring shown on previousembodiments.

Most C&C wire forming machines have wire length limitations near 9″;less than the 14.5″ or so of the FIG. 4 frame embodiment. To reduceframe wire length, the frame may be made by multiple wires spot-weldedtogether at the lateral ends. Because of the eyewear assembly of theinvention, there is almost no stress at the lateral ends: lenses keepthe medial portions of the frame from twisting, lithe sidepieces easilytwist therein placing almost no twist stress on the endpieces, and thefriction of endpiece and sidepiece within each extension spring somewhat‘clamps’ the endpiece parts together. Therefore, wire annealing therehas negligible effects on the frame. Frames need the most strength atthe noses, or nosebridge. The welds are far from the noses. FIG. 16 is a3-piece spot-weld frame embodiment, rear view, with spot-weld 70 noted.FIG. 17 is a 2-piece spot-weld frame embodiment, rear view,withspot-weld 71 noted.

Disclosed, not claimed: FIG. 18, is a single piece eyewear embodiment,front view. It can be cut from one piece of 0.03″ thick cardboard, wherethe nosepiece and sidepieces are secondarily bent rearwardly forwearing. The bends act as free hinges, so the thin sidepieces do not actlithe. Frame rearward flexibility lets the eyewear ‘lengthen’ to awearer's head, so one size fits most. The lense areas (circulardotted-line areas) may be removed and plastic film may be glued in theirplace for 3-D or party glasses. Sidepiece length can be 4.5″. Theentirety of FIG. 18, including lenses, could instead be molded from asingle polycarbonate plastic injection.

Other disclosed eyewear (none shown): Complete eyewear may be a singleplastic piece (ear-rests may be separate to alter side length). Iflenses are molded separately, a single-piece frame-sidepieces can bemade, with a slit endpiece, and springs can be added on the endpieces tosecure/remove each lense. Each spring can be held medially with arearward endpiece bend or an abutment. Though a plastic spring may beused, a metal spring provides minimal bulk. Earrings can be hung fromear-rest's hook-like portion.

6. Embodiments of the Invention with Temple-Style Prior Art (none shown)

Portions of the invention may be used as parts of pressure/temple-styleeyewear with bezels and/or eyewires above and/or below each lense,and/or rimless eyewear. I.e., the invention's extension spring can beused as a means to confine and/or remove a lense, or the spring can beused as a means to fixedly attach a temple or a hinge barrel. Thenosebridge can snap onto prior-art eyewear bezels and/or eyewires and/orframe bridge.

The nosebridge piece is of best advantage when made flexible because itcan then snap into place (encircling the frame bridge). However, thenosebridge can be formed by non-spring materials, brazed or not, thensecondarily crimping it in place substantially encircling a frame bridgein the longitudinal/latitudinal plane. Other advantages are reducedbrazing and added bridge strength. The lateral ends a the nosebridge cancontinue downwardly (optionally rearwardly and/or laterally) as nosepadarms; each for supporting a nosepad loop. The arms can be separatelyattached.

7. Materials, Dimensions, and Definitions

Parts may be, but are not limited to being made as follows: Nosebridge,sidepieces, and frame from plastic resins, or mixed metals. Examples:nosebridge, frame, and springs: 0.032″, 0.025″, and 0.009″ dia. roundstainless spring 17-7 wire respectively, and nosepads and ear-rests:polycarbonate; about 0.1″ dia. The bend of mated parts: 60° to 90°.Sidepiece length: 3″; sidepiece tab: 0.05″; medial distance betweenlenses: 0.7″; extension spring length: 0.6″; and endpiece length lateralfrom bend 45: 0.25″ FIGS. 4, 6, 7, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, and 9C are drawn inproportion to each other. Dimensions not expressly stated may beestimated from the drawings and dimensions given. Not shown: Frame hookscan face rearwardly or forwardly (instead of medially) to hook aroundthe frame bridge in the longitudinal/latitudinal plane. Endpieces may beseparate parts from the frame, i.e. upper and lower eyewires conjoinlaterally and endpieces attach to lenses by nuts and bolts.

In this text: ‘Right-hand side’ and ‘left-hand side’ are abbreviated asRHS and LHS respectively. RHS parts are the same as LHS parts, exceptopposite hand. Both hand side pieces together are considered a pair. Aneyewear frame is a structure connecting a pair of lenses. This caninclude rimless, continuous rim mounting, a continuous plastic pieceformed to be used as a pair of lenses and a frame, etc. A nosebridge isa transversely elongated member for substantially transversing awearer's nose (with or without nosepad arms).

Vertically rigid, transversely lithe sidepieces provide vertical supportfor lever eyewear with desired scant lateral pressure to a wearer'shead, when worn. “Vertically rigid” denotes enough strength forsidepieces to leverage lenses plus frame onto a wearer's nose.“Transversely lithe” denotes enough flexibility in sidepieces, withoutfree hinges, to prevent support of lenses plus frame by mediallypressuring a wearer's head. Examples: Common temple-style eyewear, whennot in use, is often worn on the head like a headband, because medialpressure makes enough friction and reargripping to hold it there.‘Transversely lithe’ sidepieces do not have enough medial pressure tosupport eyewear on the head. [A shirt pin/spring-clip can hang eyewearby the nosepiece when not in use.] A 4″ length of stainless, (17-7) witha transverse width of<0.02″, or a 1.5″ length with a <0.008″ width maybe considered lithe, compared to a 4″ long temple with a width of 0.03″.(1.5″ being the sidepiece length outside the rigid ear-rest whenadjusted for a small-head wearer. Note most pressure temples, when theythin to 0.028″, do so over a short 1.5″ length, then widen for medialstrength.) Also, side-piece width >0.007″ is not lithe enough to easilyclose sidepieces against a frame without hinges. Sidepieces can have adifferent look (like round) like if strip metal were partiallyover-molded with elastomer (not shown).

8. Conclusion

Construction of a small diameter wire spring metal frame nearlynecessitates that all parts be mechanically assembled without brazing.It is the combination of a single wire frame, a single wire nosebridge,single wire sidepieces, grooved lenses, and attachment extension springsthat makes it advantageous to use every other component therein. Thatis, each piece and assembly mechanism is dependent upon the others: Atransversely lithe spring metal sidepiece has to be thin, and such can'tbe usably brazed. For it to mechanically attach with a spring, theendpiece must also be vertically strong and small enough in diameter tofit into the spring: likely, only spring metal can be strong and smallenough. To prevent annealing, the endpiece must mechanically attach orbe a unified part of the frame. Also, spring metal is needed for framestrength and it's small diameter so it fits in lense grooves. Thenosepiece must be mechanically attached to prevent annealing wires. Aspring nosebridge wire can be small enough in diameter to hook over, andflexible enough to snap onto, a frame bridge. A spring metal nosebridgewire can be small enough to upwardly loop around a pivotable nosepadballjoint. Grooved lenses keeps the bridge from rotating.

The invention is not obvious, because spring metal would change temperat any brazed joint especially with thin (<0.01″) metal, and many jointsare needed for metal eyewear frames. Up till now, for 200 years, eyewearhas required hinges near the endpieces to dose rigid temples/sidepiecesto the frame. Vertically rigid, transversely lithe sidepieces uniquelyproduce: scant lateral pressure, twistability to tailor to a wearer'sear slope, curving around a wearer's head, and closability to a leverframe.

I claim:
 1. A method of fixedly attaching a first and a second elongatedmember which comprises the step of: confining a mated bent portion ofsaid first and said second member within a compression spring.
 2. Themethod of fixedly attaching first and second elongated members,according to claim 1, wherein said first member is an eyewear endpiece,and said second member is an eyewear sidepiece.
 3. The method of fixedlyattaching first and second elongated members, according to claim 1,wherein said first member is a folded-over wire.
 4. The method offixedly attaching first and second elongated members, according to claim3, which further comprises the step of: securing together an elongatedlength of said folded-over wire by extending said spring substantiallyaround said length.
 5. The method of fixedly attaching first and secondelongated members, according to claim 1, wherein said second member is astrip spring wire part.
 6. The method of fixedly attaching first andsecond elongated members, according to claim 1, wherein each said firstmember, said second member, and said spring are spring metal parts. 7.Lever eyewear comprising: a front frame and a pair of sidepieces,wherein a substantial length of each said sidepiece is vertically rigidand transversely lithe.
 8. Eyewear, according to claim 7, wherein eachsaid sidepiece is substantially strip spring wire.
 9. Eyewear, accordingto claim 7, wherein said frame is one continuous spring wire. 10.Eyewear, according to claim 7, further including a nosebridge, and saidnosebridge is one continuous spring metal wire.
 11. Eyewear, accordingto claim 7, further comprising: said frame having a pair of endpieces,and further including a compression spring, wherein a mated bent portionof each said sidepiece and a corresponding said endpiece are fixedlyattached within said spring.